SARANAC LAKE — The village board is considering a proposal to give volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers a 10% property tax exemption in an attempt to attract more volunteers to the lifesaving organizations.

Some trustees supported the sentiment but were concerned about giving a tax exemption to the Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad, since it is a private company — not a for-profit company, but still private.

The village will hold a public hearing on this proposal at its next meeting on Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. in the top floor of the Harrietstown Town Hall.

A 2022 state law gave towns and villages the option to provide this exemption with a local law. The local law allowing the exemption has to pass before Dec. 9. Mayor Jimmy Williams said there’s a statewide effort to offer these volunteer exemptions.

For years, local volunteer fire departments and ambulance services have been sounding the alarm about a decline in volunteerism. This puts these organizations’ futures at risk, and puts the community at risk, they say. Last year, former SLVFD Chief Brendan Keough called the decline “the biggest crisis” his department is facing.

The towns of North Elba and St. Armand, which the village partially sits inside of, offer this exemption. The town of Harrietstown, which comprises most of the village, does not.

To qualify, the volunteer must have served at least two consecutive years first. A volunteer of more than 20 years would get the exemption for life. This transfers to their spouse after the volunteer’s death, and ends upon remarriage. This works the same way if the volunteer is killed in the line of duty after serving at least five years.

The SLVFD has 36 volunteer members. The SLVRS has 45 members, 14 of whom are volunteers.

Village Clerk Amanda Hopf said she’s unsure how many of these volunteers live in the village — not many do, she said. She estimated the exemption would be given to around five people.

For a $350,000 home in the village in the town of North Elba, for example, the tax credit would be $340 per year, per volunteer. In Harrietstown, that credit would be $485. In St. Armand, it would be $405.

In 2024, North Elba had nine exemptions with an average of around $500 per exemption, Hopf said.

Trustee Aurora White had concerns that SLVRS is a private company. It’s not a for-profit company, and some of its members are volunteers, but it is still private.

White said she spoke with the New York Conference of Mayors and had concerns.

“I know it sounds awful, but if you open the door for one, it could potentially open the door for other private companies that have volunteers,” White said.

Williams said the village lawyer approved the proposed law.

Other board members said the Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance Service is private, too, and the village of Lake Placid has a similar exemption on its books.

Sean Ryan, a member of the SLVRS, said he’d abstain from the vote but would advocate for its passage.

“I do view this as an essential service,” he said. “We are hurting.”

Both departments benefit the entire region, he said, providing firefighting, medical care, medical transport and rescues in the village, the surrounding area and the entire region.

“You are signing yourself up for a lifetime of trauma and nightmares,” Ryan said. “I believe each and every one of these people deserves something. … Right now, there’s not much incentive. And if we don’t give an incentive, it’s going to go away.”

It would go a long way for them, he said.

White wondered, if another ambulance company comes into town, would the village have to offer the exemption to them? Trustee Matt Scollin, who works at Adirondack Medical Center, said the state would need to improve another service, which he felt was unlikely. If it did, though, then the village would need to.

White said it shifts the tax burden to the rest of the taxpayers. The taxes don’t go away. Somebody has to pay them, she said. It shifts the burden to everyone else, which she said should be considered.

Scollin said if the village lawyer reviewed the law and approved it, he’s comfortable with it. But he also wanted to make sure White is comfortable with it, too, before voting.

Trustee Kelly Brunette said she wanted to see more data before the public hearing.